A hard-hitting opener and an archetype of the successful Twenty20 batsman, Loots Bosman was born in Kimberley in the Cape Province, where he was raised by his grandfather, and made his debut for Griqualand West at the beginning of the 1997–98 season.
Initially named in a provisional squad of 30 for the 2009 World Twenty20, he couldn't find a place in the final 15, but in November of that year he fell one blow short of what would have been, at the time, just the second international Twenty20 century.
Smashing 94 from just 45 balls, including nine sixes, against England at Centurion, he was also involved in a world record 170-run opening stand with Graeme Smith as South Africa racked up a mammoth 241 for 6.
Despite that failure, he was signed by Derbyshire as their overseas player for the Friends Provident t20 tournament in 2010, and responded in superb fashion, hammering 94 off 50 balls to set up a crushing 65-run win over a strong Yorkshire side in June.
As he heads into his mid-30s, Bosman's opportunities for South Africa may begin to wane, and though he will be remembered as a punishing Twenty20 batsman, it remains a mystery as to why he was never able to take his success in the format into 50-over or first-class cricket.
Bosman was a key figure in South Africa A's campaign in a triangular one-day tournament in Sri Lanka in 2005–06, but it was his exploits at home that earned him a call-up to the squad for the Twenty20 International against Australia in mid-February.
He missed the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 due to a back injury, though Bosman insisted at the time that he was fit to play and he was subsequently suspended for one domestic match after being found guilty of "unbecoming or detrimental" conduct by Cricket South Africa over comments made to a local newspaper about coach Mickey Arthur after he was left out of the squad.
[9] On his return from the Hong Kong tournament, Bosman passed his previous bests in both limited overs and first-class cricket, hitting 92 not out against North West in the Standard Bank Cup,[10] and 121 against Northerns in the Super Six stage of the SuperSport Series.
[13] Bosman was part of the South Africa squad for the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes again in 2002–03, losing his wicket for 0 and 7 in his first two matches, before a nine ball 32 in the third-place play-off against India.